San Diegans vent about Miramar Air Show

Marines can't fly, taxiing not even allowed in front of spectators. DoD said so.

The 2013 Miramar Air Show Oct. 4-5 will feature civilian flight demonstrations and much of this: aircraft parked on the flight line during last year's show. No engine starts or taxiing in front of spectators allowed for Pentagon aviation assets this fall.
— Peggy Peattie / U-T San Diego

The 2013 Miramar Air Show Oct. 4-5 will feature civilian flight demonstrations and much of this: aircraft parked on the flight line during last year's show. No engine starts or taxiing in front of spectators allowed for Pentagon aviation assets this fall.
— Peggy Peattie / U-T San Diego

At least one reader of my recent coverage about the Miramar Air Show hoped I got it wrong when reporting there would be no active service military flights at the event this year.

"Not even a helicopter?!" my incredulous caller complained, or words to that effect. Surely U-T San Diego read more into the recent announcement from Col. John Farnam, commanding officer of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, than was warranted, my critic suggested.

Another caller, a retired military aviator from Del Mar, left a long voicemail describing what a morale booster the air show is for active duty troops and their families stationed in San Diego. He suggested we pause the air show several times so the masses could see normal flight training involving aircraft that fly into Miramar, such as F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets, AV-8B Harrier vertical landing jets, MV-22 Osprey tilt rotors, and UH-1Y Huey helicopters.

Farnam said Monday the air show would go on, despite a Pentagon policy grounding military flight demonstrations because of across-the-board sequestration budget cuts in defense spending.

"As you know, the Navy Blue Angels won't be joining us. And I won't be able to execute the flight demonstration part of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force. But that doesn't mean that your Marine Corps and the MAGTF are not going to be on display for you here," Farnam said in a video invite to the Oct. 4-5 event.

No, the nation's largest military air show won't include military flights this year. But for two days this fall instead of three, San Diegans will still get to meet Marines, watch civilian acts flying, invade the Miramar flight line to see Marine warfighting assets in "a number of static displays" (that means immobile) and be welcomed "this year, uniquely, even onto our runway," Farnam said.

Why the expanded access? Because the Marines can't fly.

DoD said so in their decision letter. Not only that, they can't start the engines or taxi aircraft onto the runway in front of spectators.

I am not sure how taxiing out of sight of San Diegan taxpayers saves the feds any defense dollars, but that is the policy according to the July 11 decision letter from the Defense Department refusing a waiver for the Miramar Air Show.

The letter signed by Rene C. Bardorf, deputy assistant secretary of defense for community and public outreach, said that since April “no flyovers or aerial demonstrations have taken place except those in support of active duty funerals and the repatriation of remains of those formerly missing in action.”

San Diego didn't get special protection for its money-making air show, which nets an average profit of $1.5 million annually not including military aircraft operation costs. But the decision letter said Miramar can go ahead with an "open house" as long as certain guidelines are "strictly adhered" to. Among them:

All military flyovers and aerial demonstrations are prohibited.

Flight training, to include vertical and short take-off and landing flights, will not be conducted in conjunction with or over the military installation during the open house.

Navy and Marine Corps ground display of military aircraft and related equipment is permitted provided it does not involve taxiing or starting of engines while spectators are in the display area.